The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for new examinations to evaluate his low back, ankle, radiculopathy, neck, elbow, and upper extremity disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is necessary as the current evidence does not provide sufficient information to make a determination on the claims without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis and Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (Low Back), Fracture Residuals (Right Ankle), Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Cervical Strain (Neck), Right Elbow Disorder, Radiculopathy of the Right Upper Extremity (Secondary to Neck Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21005259
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21005259.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board found that the evidence did not show an actual improvement in the Veteran's conditions, and thus denied the reduction requests for his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted service connection.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities are also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back disability, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, limitation of pronation and flexion of the right elbow, and scarring, but granted a 40 percent rating from March 26, 2024 to September 17, 2024.
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